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Seriously Social Day 5 Inclusion: How ANGUSalive is Making Waves for Children with Additional Support Needs

Seriously Social Day 5 Inclusion: How ANGUSalive is Making Waves for Children with Additional Support Needs

As part of Community Leisure’s Seriously Social campaign, ANGUSalive is celebrating the power of inclusive access to sport and physical activity – with a special spotlight on our growing support for children with Additional Support Needs (ASN).

Over the past year, ANGUSalive has developed a strong and responsive ASN swimming programme, specifically designed to ensure that no child misses out on the essential life skill of learning to swim.

Each week, 18 children take part in tailored one-to-one swimming lessons, receiving individual attention and the reassurance of instructors trained to work with children of varying abilities and confidence levels. These lessons are delivered in 8-week blocks, providing structure and consistency – two things that are especially important for many ASN children and their families.

Over the course of the year, that equates to nearly 600 lessons delivered by ANGUSalive.

Championing Inclusive Role Models

The ASN swimming programme has been proudly supported by Beth Greig, a GB Down Syndrome swimming athlete who brings lived experience and inspiration to the young people we work with. Beth’s involvement in the programme has not only raised awareness but also shown families what’s possible when inclusion is done right – with dignity, empathy and belief in potential.

More Than Just Swimming

For many of the children we support, these sessions are the first time they’ve been able to access a mainstream community activity in a way that feels safe, welcoming, and personalised. For their families, it’s often the first time they’ve felt seen, heard, and included within public leisure provision.

This programme is part of a wider inclusion mission at ANGUSalive, which also includes:

  • 11 inclusive sport events delivered last year

  • 493 attendees across sports like Boccia, parasports festivals, track & field, golf and swimming

  • Close partnerships with schools and support services to embed inclusion in our community offer

We’re proud that our ASN swimming programme is making a tangible difference—not just in water confidence, but in self-esteem, routine, and family wellbeing.

Inclusion isn’t about creating separate spaces. It’s about removing barriers in the ones we already have. That’s what ANGUSalive does, every week, with every session, and with every child we support.

You can learn more about our disability and inclusion work here.

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